DIVORCE MEDIATION AND YOU:

Located in Santa Rosa, California, ALTERNATIVE MEDIATION SERVICES provides an opportunity for you to design and control your own divorce. Through the cooperative process of divorce mediation, I will help you and your spouse reach a settlement of all issues in less time, with less conflict and more economically than a litigated divorce.

I believe that divorce mediation is the best alternative to a litigated divorce. The divorce mediation process allows you and your spouse to transition from a difficult and perhaps painful situation to an empowering experience of growth, transformation and ultimate healing by providing you and your spouse with the control to determine what you want and need for you and your family.

My job is to help you obtain your divorce with the least amount of conflict and the most amount of respect left intact for each other and for yourselves. See Mediation for more information. If you do not find answers to your questions on the Mediation page or Frequently Asked Questions page (FAQ), feel free to give me a call.

I OFFER A FREE CONSULTATION during which I will give you and your spouse a detailed explanation of how Divorce Mediation works, and how it differs from the traditional adversarial divorce.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES are offered in two separate and distinct areas:

(1) Legal Document Assistance: For those needing assistance with preparation of legal documents; and

(2) Coaching: For those attempting to maneuver through the court system by either representing themselves in court without an attorney (“in pro per”) or just needing assistance in choosing the right attorney for them. See links above.

ABOUT MICKEY FERNANDEZ:

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with a difficult divorce motivated me to become a divorce mediator. I understand the issues involved when sharing custody, dealing with support, child and spousal, division of property and other divorce related matters. I understand feelings that may be unique to divorcing couples. When requested, I bring my personal knowledge and experience to the table when mediating to assist and empower my clients.

BACKGROUND TRAINING:

In 1994, I graduated from Western State University College of Law in San Diego and obtained my law degree with honors. In 1996, I received Certificates (general and advanced) in Divorce Mediation from Coast to Coast Mediation Center in San Diego. In 1999, I began teaching as an Adjunct Professor in the Paralegal Studies Program at Southwestern Community College in Chula Vista, California. I taught Mediation Conflict Resolution as well as other paralegal classes. I continue to attend mediation trainings each year. I am now Asst. Department Head of the Paralegal Program at Empire College, Santa Rosa, California where I continue to teach Family Law and Mediation classes. I am a bonded and licensed Legal Document Assistant (LDA). For a more complete description of my background training, see Resume.

What Clients Say:

“Thank you so much, Mickey, for mediating our divorce…I
appreciate your knowledge of the legal process, your skill in communicating
to us what we need to discuss and accomplish each step of
the journey, and your patience in our taking the time we needed to complete the
process. You have been very encouraging, and your knowledge
and experience
took much of the pain out of divorcing, allowing us to focus
on the future. Thank you for providing us a humane, economical alternative
through mediation.”
Ruth
M. - Nurse

“Mickey, thank you….You saved us thousands of dollars by using
your mediation skills in helping us get through some sticky
issues, and provided a professional, caring atmosphere within which to resolve
our conflicts. You allowed us to express our feelings without
hurting
each other and always kept mutual respect in the forefront
of the mediation. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Kathleen
L. - Professor

“Thank you for helping me represent myself in court. With
your guidance I was able to locate and prepare the documents
I needed and appear
by myself in court, ultimately getting the modification
of support I needed. Your coaching skills and support were invaluable.”
Corliss
F. - Entrepreneur.